All In A Day's Work
by The Cannibal God
Summary: For the Crimson Alchemist, it was just another mundane occurrence on another ordinary day. Another order to be carried out. Another massive explosion. Another meaningless life lost. It was all in a day's work.


Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. If I did, then that would be really cool, but unfortunately I don't.

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The scent of blood in the air. The terrified screams of the fleeing civilians. The satisfying boom of an explosive, resulting in a number of dismembered limbs and lost human lives. It's all in a day's work.

Some have called me a sadist. I'll be the first to admit that they are right. But so what if I am? Sure, it _is_ hurting others, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. Life is so meaningless; we're all going to die someday anyway. I might as well go out with a bang, so to speak.

Today was just another ordinary day. I walked through what was left of Ishbal, looking for any sign of life among the rubble. _Those Ishballin weaklings must be hiding_, I thought with a smirk. _Well, I'll just have to blast them out._ The chimeras raced ahead of me, seeking out refugees. I placed my hands in the pockets of my military uniform and peered into a seemingly abandoned building curiously.

"Well, well, what have we got here?" My words boomed into the night air, disrupting the silence that had formerly occupied it. The child was curled into a corner, fear dancing across his dark features. I smirked and walked towards him, causing him to cower even more. I love putting them through this kind of emotional torture; revel in watching the fear spread across their face. A terrified pair of red eyes stared up at me as if looking at a monster. My excitement grew.

"Wh-who are you?" The child was obviously scared, but he stood his ground. He kept his eyes locked on mine, unwavering. I stared him down with my own amber gaze, resolute and malicious. I laughed a little as I hastily replied. "The name's Zolf J. Kimbley, the Crimson Alchemist. Not that it means anything to you. I'm just another state alchemist carrying out orders, kid. And right now, my orders are to annihilate every living being I can find in this wreck that they call Ishbal."

"Why are you doing this? We haven't done anything to you!" The child was still looking up at me, tears rolling down his dirty brown cheeks. I simply smirked and put my right hand on his shoulder. I could feel the warmth of the transmutation circles on my palms as I activated them. "Why not, kid? Because I can."

"But that doesn't mean you have to! You don't have to be so cruel!" The kid was shouting now, still staring at me. Those red eyes were overflowing with tears. Tears that were sad and determined; they seemed to plead for mercy. _Don't you have any heart?_ _How could you kill an innocent child with such sad eyes? What kind of a bastard would do such a thing? _I could hear these silent pleas, but I forced myself to ignore them. Still, those eyes kept staring at me, penetrating into the depths of my mind. _How could anyone live with himself after doing such a terrible thing?_

His eyes were starting to scare me a little, although I tried not to show it. I could have understood if he wanted to kill me and all the other state alchemists for what we had done. But those eyes held no malice within them. Only despair, confusion, and hope. Only a hope that I would be merciful for once, and spare this boy's life. Only an unspoken prayer for sympathy, which I purposely ignored.

We both waited in silence while my alchemy took effect. Any minute now. A few more minutes, and BANG! This kid and his creepy eyes would be gone, just like the rest of those pitiful Ishballins. I wanted to kill him that very moment, so that I would never have to see that eerie look in his eyes ever again. He was still looking at me. Still pleading for his life with those terrible eyes of his. But it was too late. Even if I _had_ wanted to save him, it was too late to de-activate my alchemy.

BOOM! The child's screams were drowned out by that glorious sound. Kabulie! Then he was gone -- silenced. The explosion caused the wind to blow and my long black ponytail to whip behind me like the flag of a victorious army. The smoke got in my eyes, making me blink a bit. But behind it all, I was smiling wide. Glad to have taken another meaningless human life and finished off another ordinary day with a bang.


End file.
